William G. Coskran Chair

Generations of future property lawyers and educators have been inspired by Professor William (Bill) G. Coskran ’59, and to honor his legacy Loyola has created an endowed chair in his name to ensure top talent will continue to give future Loyola students similar inspiration. Coskran’s ties to Loyola go back to his undergraduate degree, which he earned at Loyola Marymount University. He graduated first in his Loyola Law School class in 1959. After spending two years in the U.S. Air Force JAG Corps, he entered private practice focusing on real property and construction law. He quickly returned to the Law School though, first as an adjunct professor, and then, teaching full-time beginning in 1968. “As part of a faculty known for great teaching, Bill Coskran was perhaps the finest teacher of them all,” said Dean Victor J. Gold. “What made Bill nothing less than a classroom legend was his unmatched ability to help his students understand and apply the most difficult aspects of law to a concrete set of facts. No one has everbeen better at performing the magic of turning students into lawyers.”

Loyola Professor Allan Ides ’79 remembers attending Coskran’s class as a first-year student and being pushed hard – but also inspired. “Going to his class was one of the most engaging things you could do. He captivated the class and pushed us really hard, but he was always nice, always available outside the classroom,” said Ides, who holds the Christopher N. May Chair. Calling Coskran “almost immeasurably good, unbelievably good,” Ides said Coskran inspired him to pursue his own teaching career. “I was completely influenced by him. He had no PowerPoint, no special effects. It was all him and the chalkboard. He was completely dedicated in a completely unpretentious way,” Ides said.

Endowed chairs reward excellent teachers and scholars and indicate the depth and stability of an educational institution. Loyola received its first endowed chair in 1980 and has since collected 15 more. The positions are used to help retain and recruit top faculty, who will raise the level of education and scholarship of the Law School for years to come. As part of a faculty known for great teaching, Bill Coskran was perhaps the finest teacher of them all,”

The Law School is especially proud to create the William G. Coskran Chair which will recognize Bill for all his contributions to the Law School as a loyal alumnus, a terrific friend, an exceptional teacher and an extraordinary human being.